Concrete mixer



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Ernes F14/eye ATTORNEY l Sept. 29, 1925.

E. F. WEGE CONCRETE MIXER Filed March 1, 1924 Sept. 29,1925. 1,555,172

E. F. WEGE concur-:TB MIXER Filed latch l, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fr//ef/ Mya Patented Sept. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES ERNEST F. WEGE, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

CONCRETE MIXER.

Application filed March 1, 1924. Serial No. 696,236.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ERNEST F. WEGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Concrete' Mixers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto concrete-mixers. The object of the invention is to provide simple and inexpensively constructed portable apparatus which will rapidly and thoroughly mix the ingredients of concrete.

More specific objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following specication.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a plan view of a portable machine embodying the present invention. Fig. 2yis a longitudinal elevation taken transversely of the machine frame, of the driving pinions and the shifting devices therefor.

shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevational view 4of the material receiving end of the machine, front portions of the vehicle being omitted. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the mixing drum through lr-4 of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a transverse section through 5-5 of Fig. 4, Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view to an enlarged scale to illustrate the manner of mounting the drum and traction wheels. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a two part spacing collar of a drum hub assembly. Fig. 8 isa side elevation of a vehicle wheel ournal bearing fora drum hub.

In said drawings, the reference numeral 5 represents, generally, a cylindrical shell or drum which is preferably formed of a sheet metal peripheral wall 6 rigidly secured to cast iron end walls 7 and 8. These end wallsl are provided with axially disposed openings 9 and 10, preferably conical as shown, and extending through annular hub elements 11 and 12 of the respective drum ends.

Each of said hubs is formed to provide a circular bearing surface as 13, Fig. 6, at the outer side of a circular rib or shoulder 14. Intermediate the length of a bearing surface 14 the respective hub is provided with a peripheral groove 15 to receive a collar 16, see Fig. 7, of two complementary parts 161. Rotatably mounted between a shoulder 14 and the collar 16 is the hub orv spider eleample, by means of a hand wheel 22 mounted upon a post` 23 whichis operatively connected to the aforesaid post by an endless chain. 24 passing about sprocket wheels .on

the respective posts.

The aforedescribedparts constitute a vehicle in which the drum 5 serves, in effect,

as a part of the frame and also as the axle of the rear wheels 171. The drum, more- Vover, is mounted for rotation independently of the wheels 171 and in the frame ring ele- Vments 18.

31 represent rings securedk by bolts 32 to the ends ofthe respective hubs 11 and 12 for retaining the ring elements 18 of the frame bars upon the respective hubs. The bolt-s 32 by extending through apertures 33 of the collar parts 161 serve to secure the latter in positions to retain the wheels 171 upon the hubs. The ring elementf18 of the frame bars 19 at the material-receiving end of the drum is provided with apertured lugs 341 to receive rivets or equivalent means for fastening a plate35 thereto. lThe plate 35 is provided with a hole or passage way 351 which registers with the drum opening 9. Secured as by rivets 36 to said plate is a second plate 37 of substantially the shape shown, the two joined plates constituting a hopper for concrete forming material which is delivered through the passageway 351 into the receiving end of the drum.

For closing the hopper outlet or passageway 351, I provide a gate, see Figs. 1 and 3, comprising a plate 38 which is pivotally connected at 39 to the hopper plate 35. A handle bar 40 which is rigid with the free end of the gate is employed for swinging the gate into or' from its closing position with respect to the passageway y351.

411 represents a protuberance or lug pro-- vided on the plate 35 to afford a catch for the handle bar 40 when the gate is in its open position. 42 represents a spout secured to the drum end 8 and communicates through hicle frame and connected to the respectiveV the discharge opening 1() with a trough 43 provided within the drum.

As best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, said trough. extends in a substantially radial direction from the discharge opening l() and has a floor ift inclined with respect to the drum axis. Said floor extends circumferentially about a portion of the periphery of the opening 10 and its innersurface as l5 (Fig. l) is coextensivety or nearly so, with the conical inner surfaces of the opening 10 and of the spout a2 so that plastic concrete taken up by the trough when revolved with the drums in the direction of arrow in Fig. 5 .vill be discharged through said opening. Secured Vto the peripheral wall 6 interiorly of the drum and extending substantially the entire length of the same is a helically disposed vblade .Ll-6. lNhen revolved in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow Yin Fig. 5 the blade 46 serves to repeatedly lift the material within the drum during the rotation of the same until the incline of said blade permits the material to drop to the bottom of the drum to effect a thorough mixing of a batch of concrete, llflren revolved in the Adirection ofy ysaid arrow, the helical arrangement ofthe blade effects a series of intermittent progressive movement of the material from the receiving end of the drum toward the delivery end thereof and eventually delivers the .material into the trough i3 whence it is discharged through the opening 1() and spout 42.

' `'lnchided in the invention are power means for rotating the drum 5 and the traction wheels 17 for propelling the machine.

As illustrated such power means, see Fig. 1. comprises a motor havingi a shaft which is operatively connected by means of bevel 5th l and 55 with a propeller shaft which is connected through the me- "dium of differential nears not shown arot3 vided in a housing 57 with transversely arranged shaft members '58.

These shaft members 58 have mounted thereon for relative axial movements spur pinions 59 which are adapted to engage ring gears 60 provided on the drum or with ringI gears 61 provided on the respective vehicle wheels 171.

For effecting` the rotation of the drum or the traction wheels of the vehicle the pinions 59 are shifted into engr* freinent with vthe ring' gears 6l) or (S1 as by means of a lever 6&2 ('ligs. 1 and 2) fulcrunied at 6&3 to thc vepinions by reach rods 64: with yoles 65 engaging in peripheral grooves provided in the pinion hubs.

An attachment 66 rigid with said frame provided with notches 67 for a latch 68 for releasably securing the lever G2 in position to retain said pinions in engaged relations with either the drum gears 60 or the .vheel gears 61.

The gears 54k and above mentioned function to transmit power from the motor shaft 51 to the propeller shaft 5G to rotate the fatter in the direction as in the motor shaft or the opposite direction selectively.

To which ends. the gear 53 is keyed or other rise rioidly secured to the shaft 51, the Y turns loosely on `its shaft 56 and the gear :r3 is in continuous mesh with both of the g. ars referred to. l

70 represents a clutch member splined upon Vthe shaft 5G and is engageable in clutch elements provided on the gears 53 and 71 represents a shaft carrying a forlred attachment T2 engaging the clutch member 70 whereby the latter is shifted by means of a lever 7?, into engaged relations with either of the gears 53 or according to which way the shaft 5G is desired'to be rotated.

'lhe construction and operation of the invention will, it is believed, befunderstood from the foreg/oing description.

lilhat l claim, isy 1. ln a machine of the character Vdescribed a mixing-drum having at the ends thereof hollow hub elements7 a vehicle frame provided withjournal `bearings for the drum hubs, vehicle wheels journaled upon the respective hubs7 a hopper secured to said frame and communicating with the interior of the drum through the opening in one of said hubs, and a discharge spout secured to the other hub.

2. ln a machine of the character "described, a frame7 supporting wheels therefor, mixing-drum journaled axially of said wheels in said frame, said drum having a material feeding` opening in one end anda discharge opening` in its other end, a hopper secured to the frame and communicating with the feeding opening of the drum, means for closing communication between the hopper and the drum, and means provided on the frame forvrotating the drum.

, 3. ln a machine of the character described, a frame, a mixing-drum having'hub elements rotatably Amounted in bearings of said fsame7 a series of gear teeth provided circumiereiitially on the drum, vehicle wheels mounted upon said hub elements and supportingg said drum and the frame, means on the hubs for maintaininglthe respective wheels and the Aframe bearings vin spaced relations thereon, a driving shaftl journaled in the frame, and a pinionmounted on saidshaft and engageable'with said gear teeth for vrotating` the drum.

el. in a 'machine of the character vdescribed, a supporting frame, armixinjg drum jeurnaled in the frame, wheels `journaledv on said drum supporting the latter and one end vided upon said Wheels and the axle-drum, a 10 ef the frame, power means provided on the motor mounted on the frame, a shaft rotated frame, and power transmission means by said motor, pinions spiined to said shaft whereby the drum or said Wheels may be and adapted to be engaged with the gear roated selectively by said power means. devices to effect the rotation selectively ofn 5. n a machine of the character dethe drum and the vehicle Wheels. 15 scribed, a vehicle frame, a mixing drum Signed at Havre, Montana, this 31st day journaled in said frame, vehicle Wheels of December, 1923. journaied on said drum, gear devices pro- ERNEST F. WEGE. 

